No, the District 44 champions haven't been eliminated yet—far from it. In fact, in recent weeks they've added the Section 5 and Division 2 titles to their list of credentials.

They just finally get to go out of town to play.

After enjoying home cooking and sleeping in their own beds while plowing through the first three tournaments at familiar Ortega Park and Jelcick Field, the local fast-pitch champs are in Vancouver, Wash., at the West Regionals.

They will be there for at least four games of pool play through Aug. 6, but manager Mike DeSilva hopes a deep and rested pitching staff and strong team defense will carry the Northern California champions into the championship rounds. The winner of the 10-team West Regional will be determined on Aug. 8.

A regional championship will earn the Sunnyvale National girls a short trip over the Columbia River into Portland, Ore., for the Little League Softball World Series and another week of vacation.

Jessica Lopez, Corina Rios and Taylor DeSilva shared the pitching duties in the first three tourneys, as Sunnyvale National racked up a 9-0 record and outscored opponents 136-5. But the girls have been able to save their arms some, as most games have been called after four or five innings because of the 10-run rule.

The toughest game was against Hercules-Pinole in the first round of the Northern California Division 2 tourney on July 24. National needed "a total team effort," DeSilva said, to post a 9-2 victory. A six-run third inning also came in handy.

Hercules-Pinole, which outhit Sunnyvale 9-6, scored first, but the big third inning gave the locals a 6-1 lead. Hercules-Pinole cut the score to 6-2 in the fourth and was threatening to tighten the game further with runners at second and third.

Then second baseman Jessica "Pee Wee" Perez "made the play of the game" on a hard-hit ball headed for right field, DeSilva said. She ranged to her left, knocked down the ball, and under-handed it to first baseman Taylor DeSilva for the final out of the inning.

Sunnyvale tagged on three runs in the fifth to put the game out of reach.

Rios pitched a no-hitter against East Redding in the next game, a 13-0 decision that lasted just four innings. Sunnyvale put the game out of reach with nine runs in the top of the first. Chrissy Montez paced a 15-hit offense with three hits, four runs scored and three RBIs. DeSilva also had three hits and three RBIs.

East Redding nipped Hercules-Pinole 2-1 to earn another shot at Sunnyvale National. However, the result was quite similar—a 17-0 win. Sunnyvale scored 11 times and DeSilva pitched the four-inning shutout.

Montez led a 19-hit assault with three hits, four RBIs and three runs scored. Celine Kealiinohomoku scored four runs and drove in two others with a pair of hits. Rios and Christine Lozano both had three RBIs. Christina Meneses and Christina Lopez chipped in with two hits and two runs.

Nicole Arevalo made a diving catch and collected the game-ending RBI in the Section 5 championship game, a 10-0 win over Gilroy. DeSilva pitched a two-hitter and supported herself with three hits.

Jessica Lopez and Rios hurled one-hitters earlier in the sectional event, four-inning wins over Foster City (15-0) and Gilroy (14-1).

Kealiinohomoku was put out just once during the three sectional contests. Malyka Pettigrue and Jennifer Lopez came off the bench to combine for four hits.